Celeste Barber's stand-up tour is coming, and we’ve never deserved a laugh more.

After nearly two years of pandemic life, the whole world is in need of a darn good laugh.        

Thankfully, Celeste Barber’s upcoming live tour Fine, Thanks kicks off in May 2022, will be exactly the remedy we need to fix our collective post-pandemic blues. 

“We’ve all spent way too long sitting around and staring at the wall,” Celeste laughed when speaking to Mamamia.

“I need to get out and run amok! Also, there has been a lot of interesting stuff going on that we need to talk about. From some pretty heavy health stuff to the fact that Instagram influencers now think they are smarter than scientists – there’s a lot to unpack and it is going to be fun!”

Celeste admits during lockdown she was actually not that good at sitting still.

“I am just not one of those people who can sit on the couch all day and binge television,” she admits.

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“We did watch Tiger King, but that was a pretty terrifying show.

“Thank god for [TV show] Ted Lasso this year which was really delicious. I loved how the two main female characters Rebecca and Keeley were just mates – no question.”

Television aside, the last two years of COVID updates with the (not so) occasional lockdown has given Celeste a renewed interest in exercise.

“I have to move my body every day or my anxiety goes through the roof. It might just be a five kilometre flat round trip to the beach and back, but depending on how I’m feeling I might throw in some stairs for fun.

“If it gets to the end of the day and I haven’t had my walk, I feel it! There’s no doubt it has helped my mental health, whether I do a peaceful first thing in the morning walk or dance-walk to Beyoncé in the arvo, it’s all good!”

When not locked-down, Celeste gets her endorphin kicks and mental health boosts from getting on stage.

“I absolutely love touring and the instant feedback I get from performing live. 

“My mum tells a story about how when I was about three years old I performed a dance as part of a group and after exiting the stage and hearing the applause, I tried to go back on saying, ‘BUT THEY LOVED ME!' and she had to drag me off to get us into the car."

These days Celeste’s adoring fans number in the many millions across countries, and various social media platforms. It's her hilarious parodies of celebrity culture – and those who take themselves a little bit too seriously – that has earned her an Instagram audience of almost 8.5 million followers. 

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“I am always drawn to the clips where the celebrities aren’t wearing much. The dancing videos are fun, as physical comedy is my thing. While a few people don’t get it, I don’t get many complaints, most people get the joke and can see that what they do is pretty weird!”

In fact, even the celebrities she satirises through her #celestechallengeaccepted posts can’t help but love her hilarious takes on their wildly glamorous and sometimes unrelatable glimpses into their lives.

“I’ve got some lovely celebrity followers who I have become friends with, but the weirdest one recently was Maria Shriver. I was like, really? Okay, that’s cool!”

While Celeste never intended to play a role in the body positivity movement, she has noticed a big change in the diversity of how women’s bodies are represented online since she first cracked the big time on Instagram, back in 2015.

“I never thought how I looked. And for me it has purely been about comedy – I wasn’t trying to be brave, I was just being funny.

“Saying that, I am glad there are more diverse female bodies in the media although I think it is still quite tokenistic. Five or six years ago there was literally one body type – the Victoria's Secret thin, model body on Instagram. There are a few more now, but there’s still a way to go.”

This immersion in the world of influencers and models is mostly a lot of fun for Celeste as she mines Instagram for inspirational content to parody. But some days she confesses, it doesn’t make her feel good.

“I absolutely have days where I look at myself and feel pretty gross but I’ve always known that how I look is the least interesting thing about me. 

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“My skills and my currency lies in my wit and comedy. I thought it was interesting when actor and comedian Jonah Hill recently posted on Instagram to ask people not to comment on his body, and to stop judging him based on how he looks. 

“Women have been asking the world to stop talking about our bodies for generations, but it gets lost in the white noise. The minute a man says it, people listen and say ‘oh wow, you’re amazing’ and it generates a huge discussion!”

The effects of social media on body image and mental health is something Celeste is keen to protect her kids from for as long as possible.

“I am literally never allowing them to have TikTok! 

“They will probably hate me forever but even for someone like me who works in the social media world, I think it is just terrifying and it is too much for kids, so I’m pretty full on about it. 

“My kids are the ones at the restaurant whose mates all have iPads and iPhones and they’re like, ‘does anyone want to play UNO?! Poor things - no one wants to be that kid!”

As to the future, Celeste has loads of goals on her list that extend even further than next year’s big Aussie and New Zealand tour.

“Firstly, I can’t wait to get back on the road again in 2022 for the Fine, Thanks tour, presented by TEG Dainty. Then who knows? There are loads of people I’d love to work with; Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Rowan Atkinson and I’d love to host the Oscars!

“But honestly, I just want to be able to keep doing what I’m doing... this life is the tits!”

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Celestes Barber’s new live tour Fine, Thanks, presented by TEG Dainty and Michael Cassel Group, is headed around Australia and New Zealand in May and June 2022.

Fine, Thanks explores and exploits everything from celebrity sex toys to why hot girls can't dance, and details the giddy euphoria and brutal devastation of being invited to Coachella – the same year it was cancelled. 

Get your much-needed fix of fun with Celeste in May-June 2022! Tickets for AU & NZ are on sale now.

Feature Image: Instagram @hothusband_